Sock and shoe protector



Oct. 11, 1955` E, F, Fn-:Lps 2,719,977

SOCK AND SHOE: PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 5l, 1952 INVENTOR. ELSA F. FIELDS ATTORN United States Patent O 2,719,977 SOCK AND SHOE PROTECTOR Elsa F. Fields, Cincinnati, Ohio Application October 31, 1952, Serial No. 318,010 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-61) This invention relates to a sock and shoe protector of the type adapted to circumscribingly engage the bare leg of an infant immediately above its shoe and sock tops for precluding soiling of the shoes and socks of infants being broken from diapers to training pants.

A11 object of the invention is to provide a lightweight, inexpensive, yet highly efficient sock and shoe protector which may be quickly and easily secured directly to the bare leg of an infant above its shoe and/ or sock tops for effectively deflecting urine trickling down the leg of a standing infant from entering `and/or soiling its shoes and socks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe and sock protector which is comfortable to wear, attractive to observe and easy to maintain in a sanitary condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sock and shoe protector having the hereinabove described characteristics and which is adapted to be secured to and suspended from the leg of an infant at a location immediately above the shoe and/ or sock tops for providing a protective shield that extends outwardly and downwardly from the leg whereby to overhang the sock and shoe therebeneath.

There and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sock and shoe protector embodying the teachings of the present invention, associated with the leg of an infant.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper or outer surface of the sock and shoe protector of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the under or lower surface of the protector of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

As best illustrated in the figures, my sock and shoe protector comprises a substantially flat, circular body portion having a substantially circular central opening 12 provided therein, and a throat 14 extending inwardly through the body portion 10 for controlling side access to the central opening.

The throat portion 14 includes and is defined by opposite, laterally spaced sides or side edges 16 and 18. Separable fastening means denoted generally by the numerals 20 and 22 are provided on opposite sides of throat 14 adjacent central opening 12 for enabling the sides of the throat to be detachably connected in overlapping relationship for thereby disposing the body portion inclined downwardly and outwardly from the periphery of the central opening.

With particular reference now to Fig. 1, it will be noted that when the fastening means have been secured the peripheral edge 30 of central opening 12 will circumscribingly engage the bare leg 32 of an infant immediately above top 34 of sock 36 and shoe 38, whereby the protector will be secured to and suspended directly from the childs leg. The body portion 10 will then extend downwardly and outwardly from the upper supporting edge 30 whereby to overhang the sock and shoe, it being noted that the outer peripheral edge 40 of the body portion will be disposed below and outwardly of edge 30.

In this manner the protective effect of the device is obtained without causing undue discomfort to the child, since the location of the protector above and spaced from the socks and shoe permits free circulation of air, thereby 2,719,977 Patented Oct. 11, 1955 preventing discomfort which would otherwise occur were the protector to engage the childs foot and shoe as, by way of example, in the devices of the Brennan Patent No. 2,053,813 and Stuart Patent No. 2,145,061.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper or outer surface of the protector is fabricated from a flexible sheet of water-repellant material such as plastic, or the like, whereas the under-surface comprises one or more layers of absorbent material such as, by way of example, terry-cloth, or the like.

The peripheral edges 16, 18, 30 and 40 comprise and are defined by a waterproof binding, suitably secured by means of stitching 42 to the various sheets which collectively comprise the protector, note Fig. 4, said binding overlappingly engaging the respective opposed peripheral edges of the outermost layers of material which collectively deiine the body portion,

With particular reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that if desired more than one female fastener 22 may be asociated with one side of the throat for permitting adjustment of the protector to the leg of an infant.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that I have thus provided a simple, inexpensive, yet highly effective protective device which may be conveniently associated with the bare leg of an infant immediately above the tops of its socks and shoes, as illustrated in Fig.. 1, for deecting any uid that might trickle or flow down the leg of a standing infant from reaching its socks and shoes.

Uniformly satisfactory results have been obtained from the device illustrated in the drawings wherein the infants leg is encircled by the non-elastic, waterproof, upper peripheral edge 30.

lt should be understood that various changes and moditications may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A sock and shoe protector adapted to encircle the bare leg of an infant above the shoe and sock top, said protector comprising an initially flat, substantially circular body of flexible material, said body having a central substantially circular opening having an interrupted edge and a radially extending throat opening through the periphery of the body and leading into said circular opening through the interrupted edge, the throat having edges converging inwardly and relatively widely separated at their inner ends where they join the interrupted edge of the circular opening, means carried by the body on each side of the throat outwardly of the central opening for securing the edges of said throat in overlapping relation at the narrow part of the throat, said body being drawn into a substantially frusto-conical form by the overlapping and securing of said edges, and a waterproof band around and projecting inwardly of the edge of said circular opening, said band being secured to the material of the body and adapted upon the closing of the circular opening around the leg to bend upwardly and snugly encircle the leg in the nature of a collar and the frusto-conical form of the body providing a downwardly sloping moisture deilecting shield.

2. The invention according to claim l, wherein said body has a water-proof top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,556,468 Alamo Oct. 6, 1925 1,574,773 Wharton Mar. 2, 1926 2,053,813 Brennan Sept. 8, 1936 2,056,998 Beiter Oct. 13, 1936 2,145,061 Stuart Jan. 24, 1939 2,229,563 Greenstein Ian. 21, 1941 2,571,730 Lewis Oct. 16, 1951 

